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Leo Roth: Al Vyverberg made skating institute a home

Al Vyverberg is used to working in quirky ice rinks with character. It's why his transition from facilities manager at the Skating Institute of Rochester downtown to facilities manager at Village Sports in

It's why his transition from facilities manager at the Skating Institute of Rochester downtown to facilities manager at Village Sports in Perinton will be as smooth as a sheet of freshly resurfaced ice.

Village Sports is an ongoing labor of love for Glenn Collins, who, like Vyverberg, is a dyed-in-the-wool hockey guy good with tools.

But with Vyverberg's recent departure from SIR, an era has come to an end at the venerable 60-year-old barn at 1 Boys Place where he worked for 33 years and change, keeping the financially challenged rink afloat with chewing gum and duct tape.

For Al V., SIR wasn't just a work address, it was home.

It's where he first played organized hockey as a kid, where he played for legendary coach Don Cherry at Pittsford High School, where the foundation extends to his college alma mater, Rochester Institute of Technology, and where he trained his own championship McQuaid teams on way to becoming the winningest coach in Section V history.

It's where he made as many friendships as Wayne Gretzky scored goals. Where kids and adults came not just to play hockey, but to love hockey.

"I never expected to be there that long," said Al V., 59. "After five years I was really close to leaving. I was going to rehab houses and sale them. The only thing that kept me at SIR was a steady paycheck."

We all know that's not quite true.

SIR was operated by a board put in place by philanthropist and figure skating icon F. Ritter Shumway, who in 1955 built RIT a rink at its then downtown campus. Strapped by competition from a dozen suburban rinks, SIR has struggled the past decade. When trying to make a profit tabulating $12,000 electric bills, maintenance costs, salaries and insurance, scoring on Ryan Miller while blindfolded is an easier task. For the past seven years, SIR needed fundraising just to break even.

Steady paycheck? Shoot, there were times Al Vyverberg didn't know if there would be a next paycheck. He jokingly called the Zamboni his "company car."

So what really kept Al V. at SIR for three decades was pride in giving customers the best ice in town. It was passion. And it was the people.

"I made some tremendous friends through the rink business," he said.

Friends like federal public defender Mark Hosken, a regular at morning skates and former board member who organized a series of Save the Rink Tournaments. He called Vyverberg "a Swiss Army knife of rink people." From mites to NHLers, there was nothing Al V. couldn't do or wouldn't do for someone. A former RIT captain who still plays a high caliber game, Al. V would leave pickup games to sharpen someone's skates or fetch an ice bag.

"I have never played on ice that was better maintained and the rink was always clean," Hosken said. "He really cared about who skated there from 5 to 65. Al treats everyone like a long lost brother."

While SIR was slated to close its doors for good this month, another hockey brother has made a sliding save. Real estate developer Tom Masaschi, who specializes in breathing life into old architecture, has purchased the rink as his first sports-related venture.

With the move, the keys pass from one RIT hockey Hall of Famer to another (Vyverberg '76; Masaschi '92). With a strong appreciation for the rink's tradition, Masaschi, a Perinton Youth Hockey parent and coach, just couldn't sit by and let the ice melt for good. Plans include new locker rooms, lighting and lobby — maybe even a bar and restaurant.

Hopefully, the notorious giant step down onto the ice surface will stay as is. That drop has checked the best and produced many laughs. It's where Don Cherry, in his very first practice for Pittsford High, took a tumble with his skate guards on, providing Vyverberg with one of his most endearing memories of SIR.

He could've stayed on but grew excited about trying something new in the industry. His McQuaid team and loyal friends will follow him to Village Sports. Before he left though, in typical Al. V fashion, he invited Masaschi to play on his team at the final Save the Rink Tournament. He introduced him to potential customers and showed him how things operate at the odd, old, underdog rink the hockey community is rooting hard for.

"I hope it remains open, I sure do," Al V. said. "I know Tom has the money to put into it but I hope they get enough of a customer base so they don't have to worry about Tom's money."

Sometimes you just have to follow your heart and not your head. It's a hockey thing.